


Drag Me To Hell

by writingcreature



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angels, BAMF Danny "Danno" Williams, BAMF Steve McGarrett, Demons, Developing Relationship, Horror, M/M, Night Terrors, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Danny "Danno" Williams, Protective Steve McGarrett, Vampires, Witchcraft, Witches, mcdanno
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:28:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24700837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingcreature/pseuds/writingcreature
Summary: The Hawaii Five-0 Task Force is officially working on high profile cases. In reality, however, they operate in a shadowy realm, fighting for the survival of humanity. Steve, the powerful leader of the task force, is also fighting a battle against himself, as he is harboring a demon that is continually trying to get the upper hand over his host. Danny is Steve's voice of reason and his partner on and off duty. He is considered "only human" but comes up with some badass action when the lives of Steve and his teammates are in grave danger. Kono is a powerful witch, abandoned by her coven due to her love for Adam, a human.  And Chin, like Steve, is struggling with his dark side on a daily bases. Humanity's fate is in their hands as something ancient, and evil rises to unleash the Apocalypse.Chapter 7 and 8 NSFW
Relationships: Steve McGarrett/Danny "Danno" Williams
Comments: 58
Kudos: 76





	1. Chapter 1

_The forces of darkness are powerful – and men, men are weak._

_Rumor had it that the battle between good and evil had not been going well lately. Lucifer had sent his Dark Angels to walk among us, to look for those who had lost their faith. But the important thing to remember is: Dark Angels don’t cause men to lose their faith. That starts with the machinations of corrupt men._

_The archfiends took what was left from the poor souls who lost their faith, fed on it, and became more powerful each passing day. As the darkness closed in, Lucifer laughed in glee…_

Tired, Danny put the book aside. His eyes were already burning. He might have studied enough for today.

The basement of H50’s headquarters housed a library with legendary contents. Ancient books, packed with invaluable knowledge of people who had dedicated their lives to the study of supernatural phenomena. Grimoires, magic scripts, papyri, and more were kept in there.

T.J. Fontana, the founder of the Ghost Squad, a predecessor of the task force, had collected all this. His parents had made a fortune with smuggling alcohol during Prohibition. Later, his father had made even more money on Wall Street. But T.J. had other things on his mind. On his mother’s side, one of his ancestors had roots in the French Quarter of New Orleans, where Marie Laveau was born, the mother of all voodoo priests. He had it in his blood. And since his father was glad that T.J. preferred to stick his head in books rather than in trouble, he let him proceed. But T.J. wasn’t only collecting stuff. Over the years, he developed a vast knowledge of demons, spells, and witchcraft.

Unfortunately, this knowledge was also his downfall. His wife had enormous health problems during her pregnancy and died before she could deliver the child. As a result, T.J. started drinking. His attempt to bring his wife back to life failed miserably. All they found of him someday was a pile of ashes.

Danny wasn’t precisely into studying books. He preferred the Internet for his research. Unfortunately, not everything could be found online. Strange things occurred on the island, lately. Danny was sure someone had disturbed the natural order by unleashing something very powerful, willingly, or unwillingly. Since he mostly believed in the good in people, he did not want to judge this person’s motive. Desperation had already caused many people to commit foolish ventures. It remained to be seen what kind of trouble would be worth summoning Hell on Earth.

Danny avoided worrying too much about anything. Only this time, Steve’s absurd idea of how to get rid of a demon without causing the end of the world scared the crap out of him. He wished he had nearly as much power as his friends. _Note: be careful what you wish for._ Maybe there was a binding spell that would prevent Steve from going on another suicide mission... or maybe he could try and talk to a wall which would have the same effect as seeing things for what they are, inevitable. In his fifth year with the task force, he should have been used to it. He doubted he would ever get that far.

H50 consisted of Steve McGarrett, his boss, and since not that long ago, also his lover. On the outside, he looked like a poster boy: tough ex-Navy-SEAL, flawless features, tattooed, mostly in cargo-pants, wearing his thigh holster like the pro he was, and all the other attributes that made him the perfect leader. But Steve carried a burden with him. It originated from the last words of a dying gypsy who had been killed at the hands of one of Steve’s ancestors.

For generations, the male descendants of the McGarretts were doomed to carry a monster inside of them. So, Steve’s life consisted not only of fighting the evil that threatened to destroy the world again and again but also of fighting against himself. If the monster in him ever gained the upper hand, it would mean the end of Steve’s existence as a human being.

And if one monster in the task force wasn’t enough, there was Chin, your usual next-door neighbor, hadn’t his mother been involved in an unhealthy relationship with a vampire, which made Chin a dhampir. Legends state that dhampirs were, for the most part, ordinary members of the community. Dhampirs, and especially males of paternal vampire descent, could see invisible vampires and practice sorcery, often starting careers as vampire hunters, which would be drilled for generations from father to son. Yep, he was one of these. But like everyone else of H50, Chin was hunting all kinds of evil creatures. That would make him one of the good guys, right? Only if you overlooked his insatiable thirst for blood, which often made him unpredictable. Up till now, his friends had managed to keep him in check, but Danny and the others knew it was only a matter of time until nothing and nobody could stop him from drinking human blood. If that ever happened, he would change from hunter to hunted, just like Steve.

Danny shuddered at the thought of ever losing one of his friends to the dark side. Disgusted with his thoughts, he shook his head as if the motion would help him to get rid of them.

Finally, there was Kono, the only woman in the quartet. She came from a long bloodline of powerful witches but had been cast out by her coven because some members thought it was unseemly for her to fall in love with Adam Noshimuri, a mortal and the son of a yakuza boss. He had also proposed to her, and she had said yes. Being in love with a mortal is considered a disgrace to this day, not to mention the judgments concerning her future father-in-law’s misdeeds. Even though his son pointed out many times that he didn’t intend to follow in his footsteps, well, you just couldn’t choose with whom to fall in love.

And here we came full circle. Because when Danny answered whoever’s call to Hawaii and crossed paths with Steve McGarrett, he felt like he had been struck by lightning. It had not been love at first sight because they were too different for that. But it was this sharp contrast that created the almost magical attraction they both felt. Danny often asked Kono if she’d been involved in any of this. She had sworn by all that was unholy to her that this hadn’t been the case.

With all his supernatural friends, what did Danny have to offer? Not much — _he thought_. Except for a few visions here and there, most of which turned out to be unreliable. A sense of dry humor that was often misunderstood. Nonetheless, he was a brilliant sniper, knew how to defuse bombs, loved surfing, and had something in his nature that kept the monster in Steve and Chin’s lust for blood in check.

Even Kono didn’t know the answer to this phenomenon. Not yet. She had declared Danny to be her research subject. For her, there were no coincidences. The fact that Danny was drawn to this library as his life depended on it. The positive influence on the two “monsters.” The way he often saw things from a different angle or in a different color. Altogether this made a more profound sense to her than it did to the rest of the team.

Maybe it would have been easier if one could have interviewed his parents. But Danny was an orphan. He had spent most of his life in an orphanage until the Williams family took him in at some point. However, despite their efforts, he had never really felt like one of them.

“It’s almost midnight, Danny. Not that I’m afraid of T.J.’s ghost or anything, but aren’t you hungry?” Steve said as he stood at the top of the spiral staircase with his arms crossed over his chest, watching his friend stare into space.

Danny startled. “Are you out of your mind? How many times have I told you not to sneak up on me like that? Even though I’m doing the bookworm for the team, I still have my gun with me, loaded with consecrated silver bullets. You know they can leave some nasty marks on you that will take ages to heal.”

With a smug grin on his lips, Steve walked over to the table where Danny was sitting. His gaze fell on some drawings and writings that looked somewhat familiar to him. Beast, as he called the monster within, began to stir.

“Calm down, Beast, calm down,” said Danny softly.

Steve stopped in his tracks and stared wide-eyed at his friend. “How the Hell… Since when…?”

Danny lifted his left arm to shush Steve while pinching the bridge of his nose with the forefinger and the thumb of his right.

“For a few weeks, and save the speech. It’s not like I’ve been developing new skills non-stop. Also, I wouldn’t exactly call it a skill; it’s more like fine-tuning to something I already have. It is called gut instinct,” Danny explained.

“Fine-tuning? Oh, I see. Now, if you tell me when I get a hard-on when I’m upstairs skimming through case files, it might be enough to scare the shit out of me,” Steve snarled.

“Believe me, I don’t need any supernatural powers for that, it’s like a neon sign written all over your face every time anyway,” the blond retorted.

“Touché,” Steve admitted. “Yeah, that might have been a stupid example since you and me... Egad.” Steve looked at the papers on Danny’s desk. “This is the blood spell I was telling you about. Just a slightly altered version of it.”

“Yeah, and I don’t like what I see, and I think Kono agrees with me when I tell her about it,” Danny said, then grimaced.

“What are you up to behind my back, Danno? You’re like a little kid. When they suddenly get quiet, there’s always something going on.”

“As you know about little kids.” Danny tried to sidestep him.

“Yes, Mary, my sister has some, remember?”

“That doesn’t exactly make you...”

“Danny cut the crap and talk to me, dammit. Our conversations have been more than dysfunctional for the past few days. I’m your partner, not the Antichrist. What the hell is the matter with you?”

“That’s my line, Steve. You know that, don’t you?” Danny scolded him.

“I know you’re upset about the deaths of the witches from Waimānalo Coven. We all are. But a blood spell, really? The lunar constellation’s not exactly conducive to that, and besides, something’s off. I’m surprised that Beast hasn’t reacted yet,” Danny snapped, giving Steve a skeptical once-over.

”Beast has been a bit more cheerful lately, to put it mildly. But I blamed it on the lunar cycle, and now please do me a favor and stop sounding like the Oracle of Delphi.”

Danny sighed before he kept on talking. “After the witches were killed, Kono showed up in my office. She told me that she’s feeling some unease, and it had nothing to do with the fact that she was once a part of their coven. Something very powerful has found a way out of Hell and manifested itself on Earth. At first, I thought she was overreacting because she knew those women. Then the next day, when we did this stupid hiking tour, I didn’t feel it, but I saw it.”

Steve raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean? _You saw it?_ You almost blacked out when we reached Kamehame Ridge due to the extreme heat, and you didn’t drink enough…”

“Stop it, Steven. It has nothing to do with me being exhausted or whatever. I realized that the sky was darker than usual, the plants looked like they suffered from the heat, and the ground was nothing but dusty and… it was like I could see the fires of Hell beneath it.” Danny knew he must have sounded like a lunatic. The way his friend looked at him proved him right.

Steve felt his legs give way due to the blond’s words, so he plopped into the chair next to Danny. “Sorry, dude. You are worried about me doing this blood spell while you are suddenly seeing and hearing things… Are you sure you’re not dealing with PTSD, or something else? Maybe we should consult Lou.”

Danny put his hand on Steve’s thigh. “Babe, you know what I think about Papa Midnight's Voodoo Mambo Jambo and I never said I _hear_ things. I only see things differently or… Fuck, I don’t know how to describe it. It’s like I’m wearing shades of different colors.”

Steve bent forward. His face was now only inches away from Danny’s, who could feel his friend’s hot breath ghosting over his skin as he spoke. “Does this mean we all look like the guys from Avatar to you? Those blue people?” It was hard for Steve to bite back his grin. Though he was still worried, he couldn’t help it. What he heard sounded more than absurd to him. Why should his partner see colors or the fires of Hell through the soil? He was only human. _Note: Little do you know, dear Steve._

Angrily, Danny pushed him away and jumped to his feet. “I don’t consider it funny, Steven. I don’t consider any of it funny. You’re about to put your life on the line in a situation that could easily snap out of control. A blood spell can be lethal, even for you, and you know that. Why can’t you just do your usual thing and interrogate them? The necromancer in you…”

Now Steve stood from his chair as well. “Been there, done that. Where do you think I’ve been for the past few hours? I was in the morgue, trying to connect with the witches’ spirits. Kono was with me. We did our ritual. Surprisingly, nothing happened. I mean, nothing happened to me. I wasn’t dragged to the other side as usual. But Kono’s eyes got white, and she spoke with a strange voice and told me that I would have to die to catch this bastard. He is invincible in our world. Nobody can harm him.”

Danny swallowed and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, Steve was standing in place, but the air around him had darkened. Danny thought that one of the candles was out, but no.

“Here we go again,” the blond muttered. “You and your damned ego trips. Maybe we find someone who can do that for you. You know: one of these bounty hunters. Like crazy Melvin or Merlin or whatever his name is. He’s helped us in the past.”

Steve shook his head. “I’m sorry, Danny. I’ve gone over every option. There’s only one way. If I want to take this bastard out, I have to die. It’s not like I plan on staying in limbo, wherever that place might be like. Also, I was planning on asking you to be my guiding light. You know the light that shows me the way home. My anchor in the real world.”

“You expect me to watch you die right in front of my eyes? Without lifting a finger? ARE. YOU. NUTS?” Danny’s voice was a tad higher than usual.

“I expect you to bring me home.” Steve’s voice was calm and soothing. “Of course, there might be a chance that things are going south. We both know it.”

“No, Steven. You’ve never done that before. Not like that. You were always conscious and in control of your actions. If you die, you hand over your fate into someone else’s hands. Someone we don’t know. It will be his world and its rules.” Danny fought the tears that stung his eyes.

Steve closed the distance between them to pull his friend into his arms. “You forget, I have some company with me. Beast. He’s going to protect me. I am sure about it.”

Danny melted against Steve’s body. He was too exhausted to resist. And he’d been longing for this moment the whole day. In Steve’s arms was where he belonged and where he felt save.

_Beast is the big unknown in this game. What if he plays dirty and hands you to the other side? I would lose you forever_ , Danny thought.

But the words that came out of his mouth were different. “Whatever you do, Steven, promise me you’re not going to do it alone!”

Steve put Danny’s head between his hands and put a gentle kiss on his lips before he said, “Promised.”

As soon as the word has left his mouth, both knew it was probably a lie. Steve McGarrett was a stubborn mule, and tonight Danny Williams wasn’t up for a fight, especially not after Steve shut him up with a scorching, all promising kiss when he was about to utter more concerns.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [](http://mycoven.net/index.php?seite=display&img=i543blvm6b)   
> 

Every day is a good day to die! That was what Steve told himself while he was waiting for his teammates. A glimpse at his phone told him that he was running out of time. None of them had returned his calls and messages. Thoughtfully, he scratched his stubbly chin. Seconds later, following an impulse, he left his cover to look for an entrance that would lead him into the abandoned factory building. It had housed an illustrious crowd of party-goers not too long ago.

Yes, Steve had promised not to fly solo. Still, promises were destined to be broken, especially if it was an emergency. Honestly, what could happen to him in this godforsaken place? In the middle of the night? According to his vision, he was going to die, anyway. However, with time, he'd learned one thing. Visions didn't always come true. They were no self-fulfilling prophecies; they could change.

He clasped his gun with his hand. The weapon should have provided him with some safety. It didn't work, because he wasn't here to hunt down a human perpetrator. Steve was looking for a monster—a real one. A smile curled his lips as he crossed the threshold to the former industrial plant. Adrenaline rushed through his veins, making him feel alive more than ever because he was sure about one thing: the inferno he was about to unleash upon his opponent would be worth all the pain he would have to endure during the process.

**505050**

At the same time, the howling sounds of highly tuned engines filled the air some miles away from Steve's dark playground. A crowd had gathered at the illegal race track. In the midst of it were some undercover cops, including Chin, Danny, and Kono. The governor himself had requested H50 grudgingly after the usual investigations had led nowhere. Now it was time for the task force and some cops of the inner circle to take over.

Among the winners of those street races, a mysterious series of deaths had occurred. A few days after they crossed the finish line, they had died in mysterious ways. One fell off a cliff; another one decided to gulp down some gasoline, one stabbed himself to death, while yet another one walked in front of a bus grinning like an idiot. H50's interest had been aroused immediately. Of course, they had to separate the wheat from the chaff as the media blew things out of proportion. The task force had started their investigations, determined to put enough evidence together to make this their case.

Before they had all the evidence to make this thing airtight so that they could present it to the governor, he came knocking. The media hype was out of control as gory details surfaced, leaked by a mole in the precinct.

" _Ghost Rider Kills Off Andrea Sutton' - Did the beauty find the beast at the end of the race track? - Find out more about the race queen's mysterious death_ ," the governor recited in disgust as he threw the newspaper on Steve's table.

"Commander, you know that I'm not a friend of all that supernatural stuff. But I've been in this job long enough to know that there's more between Heaven and Hell than just air."

The mission was a go. They had faked Chin's back story so he could join the racing circus; In a few minutes, the final race was about to begin.

The reason his teammates had missed Steve's calls was the noise of the engines competing with the bass booming from the speakers, mixed with the cheering and applause during and after the races. Also, some things hadn't been going according to plan due to disturbances in the stratosphere. These storms interfered with Kono's magic lately more than they should. You could almost think Mother Nature was conspiring against them.

Magic was a vital ingredient tonight as Chin was a good enough driver to compete with the wannabes. However, not so with the elite. It was the dhampir in him that made him do things he'd never done before. These abilities, together with Kono's magic, turned him into a first-class race driver.

Chin slid behind the wheel of a Dodge Viper GTS and closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, they glowed in dark orange.

Amused, he took a glance into the rear-view mirror and winked at himself.

"Let's kick some butts," he said in a deep demonic voice.

Still grinning, he stretched his neck muscles.

Then he turned his full attention at the half-naked beauty that stood between him and his competitor. Slowly, the silk, yellow handkerchief fell to the ground.

**505050**

Again, Steve had tried to reach his teammates. In vain.

The way to the crime scene turned out to be tricky. It required some of his abilities to surpass all the obstacles that popped up along the way. Unfortunately, levitating wasn't one of them. Lots of debris, sharp, rusted edges of metal, concrete blocks, and other unidentified stuff littered the area. He might be lucky if he died breaking his neck on the way in because, due to his vision, he knew it would be a long and painful death otherwise.

An old rusty staircase led steeply down into the innards of the building. If everything went according to plan, Steve would put an end to this cruelty, and every Hawaiian could sleep peacefully again. Of course, none of them would ever find out the truth about what really happened. H50 had saved the day. Nobody would ever learn about it. Officially, the task force worked high-profile cases and only reported to the governor.

As Steve turned around the corner, he held his breath for a fraction of a second. He wasn't prepared to see that young woman's body partly dismembered and the horror in her eyes that stared at him, even in death. The air was filled with the metallic stench of blood and other unpleasant smells. His vision hadn't given away any of this horror.

The witches' bodies had been discovered in an alley, days after whoever had ended their lives. Here, the blood hadn't even dried yet. Jackpot! Steve could begin with a ritual he recently vowed not to perform alone without any ado. Danny, Chin, and Kono wouldn't be happy about it. He could hear them—especially Danny, who would call him names, ban him from the sleeping room, and probably abandoned him for the rest of the year.

There was a wicked grin on his face when he whispered, "Sorry, guys. But a man's got to do what a man's got to do."

Steve did not doubt that his friends would do everything possible to bring him back from his lethal trip.

He unholstered his gun, put it down on the floor next to him, then got undressed while reciting verses in a long-forgotten language. The longer he spoke, the more he felt the presence of the dead girl. Her soul was still here among some other lost ones. Steve struggled to fight the unbearable pain and the horror that suddenly took hold of him. Bare of all clothes, he dropped to his knees and plunged his hands into the sticky blood. Within seconds he was dragged into a pitch-black abyss. An inhuman scream tore through the air until the whole building reverberated.

**505050**

Of course, Chin was the first who crossed the finish line, and 'Ghost Rider' was already expecting him. Chin and Kono felt his presence, rather than seeing him. That was the reason Chin didn't care about his victory or the upcoming celebration. He just took the cash and left the VIP area. Outside, he closed his eyes and tried to focus. The presence was much stronger now.

Chin started moving through the crowd with panther-like grace. The black racing suit emphasized his moves even more. Danny joined him two minutes later.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Chin snapped.

"Following Steve's orders to keep an eye on you."

Chin shook his head as they passed a group of teenage girls.

One of them almost choked at her lemonade; another toppled over with her chair. Chin smelled their virginity and fought to keep the dhampir within under control. Still, he couldn't help grinning from one ear to the other. Danny followed suit.

"What?" Chin growled.

"Oh, nothing. Your effect on women is simply amazing," Danny quipped.

"Then why can't you just leave me be and let me do my thing so I can take one of these chicks home with me?" Chin mused.

"Of course, what else. The only trouble is Kono, and I would have to take care of disposing of her body later. I would have to put a stake through your heart because you've turned into a full badass vampire. That's not how I want to spend a Friday night. Sorry."

"You're such a spoilsport. You consider me capable of such cruelty?" Chin replied, a devilish grin on his face.

"The human Chin I know, nope. The damphir Chin... Do I have to remind you what happened to me not that long ago, after you took a too deep look into my eyes? I was told you turned me into a willing sex slave. I mean, I never had a thing for you, I'm with Steve. You used me… gross." Danny's face turned crimson.

Chin made a dismissive gesture. "Whatever."

"Of course, you call it collateral damage. Because you had fun with both of us, the girl and me," Danny babbled away. "And now you want me to look the other way while you ask one of the girls to take you home? Imagine the nasty things you would do to her before turning her and her apartment into a bloody mess. I'm sure you vanish into the night then, and we would have to hunt you down and kill you, which would put an enormous weight on our shoulders. Then Steve would have had to deal with the governor and explain ..."

The athame that appeared in Chin's hand out of nowhere silenced Danny immediately. Only, there was nothing magical about it as Chin hid it in the custom-built sleeve.

Danny took a step to the left. "WHOA! Wait! No need to go all Alan Bates on me."

Chin ignored the remark.

"You see the guy in the yellow shirt?"

Danny narrowed his eyes. "No?!"

"Right behind him on the left is our Grim Reaper." Chin sighed. "Sorry, I forgot, you're human. The spell Kono put on you only works in close range." He grabbed his friend's arm to pull him closer. It took Danny some time until his eyes got used to the enhanced vision.

"Holy shit..." Danny muttered.

Some people were no longer looking like humans. It seemed that street races attracted all sorts of creatures.

Danny squeezed his eyes shut when a woman with a pair of horns on her forehead and horse-like teeth blew him a kiss.

After carefully opening one eye and then the other, he asked Chin, "Do you have to endure this freak show every day?"

There was no reply because his friend was already in full combat mode.

For bystanders, Chin's actions looked like those of a lunatic while the blond watched in awe how the damphir grabbed the Grim Reaper by the collar with one hand and buried the athame in the creature's chest with the other. Within the blink of an eye, the Grim-Reaper was gone, poof.

Danny was busy not to throw up. Some of these beasts were disgusting. Not to mention the stench that was now wafting through the air.

No longer high on adrenaline, Chin realized the strange looks from the people around him.

Time for Danny to save the day or, better, the night, "Holy shit, Chin!" he hollered out and patted the broad shoulders in front of him. "Time to switch to decaf, dude!"

"You made me look like an idiot," Chin hissed.

Danny arched a brow. "Are you serious? Who was wielding an invisible knife at an invisible whatever that was?" The disgusted look on his face spoke volumes.

"Guys, drop it! Steve's in big trouble." Kono interrupted their quarrel.

"What the fuck did he do now?" Danny blurted out.

She struggled for composure, "I . . . I can't tell you what's going on. I had a vision. My brain still feels like scrambled eggs. There was blood, a lot of it. And hellfire and darkness. I heard terrible screams. I am used to a lot, but honestly, this one scared the crap out of me."

If Danny's eyes could roll any further, he would have been looking out the back of his skull, "That much for not flying solo," he snapped while hurrying down the parking lot. "Fucking stupid mule," Danny muttered as he got behind the wheel and fired up the Camaro's engine.

With her cousin driving, Kono speed-dialed the governor. She gave him a quick rundown about the solved problem and promised a full report within the next few days yet kept him in the dark about her boss' fate.

After she ended the call, Kono sensed that something was off. Without any doubt, being this close to such a powerful creature would have had some impact on Chin's dark side.

After what felt like an eternity, they arrived at the crime scene. Kono's feelings had not deceived her. The whole area was brimming with police activity. There was the Camaro, but Danny was nowhere to be seen.

The cousins were about to duck under the yellow tape when a young, over eagerly uniform blocked their path.

"Where do you think you're going? This is an active crime scene."

They flashed their badges.

The cop shook his head. "Aren't you guys out of your jurisdiction or whatever? Do you think you can waltz in here and take over? Leave, or. . ."

"Or what?" Chin snapped.

"Or I've got to put you into custody." Determined, the young guy stood his ground, putting his hand on the holster.

Great! Now the dhampir was creeping to the surface.

"Sir, stand back. You don't want to visit our holding cells."

Chin's eyes started to glow. "GET. OUT. OF. MY. WAY!"

His hands balled into fists. He was five nanoseconds away from ripping the guy's throat out.

"Hey, kiddo! Stop fooling around and let the Detectives Kelly and Kalakaua pass," a voice came from behind.

"Sir..."

"Right on point, Danny," Kono said, relieved. She wasn't sure how long her silver bracelet would have worked its charm to keep the damphir in check. They ducked under the tape.

"Sir..." the uniform demanded.

Danny stabbed his forefinger in the guy's chest. "Don't even think of it. Modesty isn't one of your strongest suits. Copy that. Now leave and help Officer Franklin. He's canvassing the area. And yes, I talked to your boss about it."

Finally, the uniform turned on his heels and left. When he was out of earshot, Danny's face darkened.

"Kono, you were right. Whatever Steve did... it caused the shit hitting the fan. Half of the island has turned into a bubbling cauldron. Violence is exploding at almost every corner."

Kono's glance was more than worried when she said, "I fear he was working the blood spell, alone."

Danny nodded slowly, "I know, and now we've to deal with the consequences. This damn race. My voice mail is overflowing with Steve's messages. I bet if you check yours, it'll be the same," his voice bore anger and worry.

"What have you been told so far?" Chin asked, "You've talked to the kid's boss?"

"I lied," Danny replied, "All I know is hearsay from the other cops. There had been an illegal party, too much alcohol, too much ecstasy. Some witnesses said it started with an earthquake. Unfortunately, the majority of them were either drunk or stoned and ignored the warning signs. Then fire broke out at several different places at the same time."

"Okay, so there was an earthquake and a fire, and then what?" Chin urged.

"They realized that this was not the supposed midnight show. Most of the kids escaped. A girl in her twenties had been left behind and was brutally murdered. The cops said they've seen a lot in the past. But this—it must have been horrible." Danny shuddered.

"Okay, now tell us where Steve is," Kono pleaded.

Danny huffed out a breath, "He was in the basement, together with the victim. The . . . the ceiling collapsed."

Chin and Kono started to move, but Danny didn't move.

"What are you waiting for? We have to help him, come on," Chin said.

"He's not in there. They took him to the morgue," Danny replied, defeated.

Kono paled.

"In the ... WHERE? Why the hell is Steve in the morgue? We agreed that no matter what, he had to stay here!" her voice cracked.

Danny swallowed, "Lafayette was in charge. You know him ...."

"Lafayette, you ASSHOLE. Where are you?" Chin hollered out.

Prompt, a man stepped out from the shadows.

"Is there a problem, guys?" Lafayette's voice was oozing sarcasm.

"What the hell you think you're doing? You're a member of the inner circle. You know how important details are. How hard could to stick to the textbook?" Danny said, glaring daggers at the man.

"Oops, I guess I'm just not up to speed. Too bad, I must have been mistaken in ordering Steve's body to be put into the coroner's van so his sorry ass could be hauled into the morgue," Lafayette retorted.

"Cut that crap!" Danny yelled shortly before adding in a chilling low voice, "You don't wanna go there, Lafayette. Consider yourself lucky. I have neither the time nor the patience to deal with you now." Danny spat on the ground in front of the guy, then turned his head to face his teammates. "We gotta go. Steve needs us."

"What if it's too late?" Chin asked while his eyes were glowing in the dark. His hands balled into fists. He and Lafayette engulfed in a staredown contest.

It was Danny, who shoved his friend toward the yellow tape, ordering, "Go!"

On their way to their cars, Chin turned around one more time, pointing at Lafayette.

"One day, in a dark and lonesome alley..."

He got a smug grin in return. "It's all your fault, you freaks. Bet you know the saying if you're looking too long into the abyss, the abyss will look back at you." Chin gave him the finger.

Not everyone who worked for HPD's inner circle liked what H50 did or liked the people who worked on the team. They tried to sabotage the task force whenever they could. Lafayette was one of them. And as his dad was close to the commissioner, nothing would ever harm him.

Tonight, their stupid resentments would probably cost a man's life.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [](http://mycoven.net/index.php?seite=display&img=i544blvup1)   
> 

**One week earlier at H50's headquarters**

Steve knew Kono was about to enter his office before she was even knocking.

"Come in."

The worried look on her face spoke volumes. Kono wasn't easy to scare. She'd been through a lot in the past, in another life. The memories were still haunting her.

He pointed at the empty chair.

"Please have a seat."

She nodded briefly, sat down, and got straight to the point.

"I know we had this conversation earlier. A few months ago. You told me to keep an eye on the veil."

The veil concealed supernatural creatures and activities from the human world. Humanity struggled enough with diseases, wars, violence, and many other nasty things. There was no need to spice things up with evil creatures coming straight out of Hell.

"It's thinning," Steve blurted out. "I can sense it but have no clue what's going on or how to stop it. Any ideas?"

Kono swallowed.

"Unfortunately, yes. Someone is killing off the veil's Guardians. I've counted at least five deaths that are related to it. The strange thing is, nobody misses them—like they never existed. Thanks to my visions, I discovered the inconsistencies."

Steve furrowed his brows, asking, "What about the bodies?"

"I've tried a location spell but came up empty," Kono's voice sounded apologetic. "I think whoever's behind it must have a lot of magic juice running through their veins. I've never met anyone or anything as powerful in my life. Some covens are already calling it a phenomenon. They have taken precautions to be less vulnerable. Also, some of my sisters think that this being or primal force, or whatever you want to call it, has not reached its full potential yet."

"Great! Could time travel be a reason, or could it be someone who's altering reality?" Steve asked.

"No, all these actions would leave a magical trail that is easy to follow. This is rather different. It's like the Guardians ceased to exist or, worse, were never born at all."

Steve combed his fingers through his hair thoughtfully _._

Kono watched him closely. Her boss looked like death warmed over.

'When was the last time you had a good night's sleep?"

Steve glanced at her reproachfully.

"You sound like Danny. I'm fine. I don't need much sleep."

"I could manipulate you into telling me the truth. But I'd prefer it if you talked to me here and now."

"Kono ..."

"Steve, I ... we depend on your strength. Chin hasn't been himself for some time now. He fights hard to keep his bloodlust in check; I know he does. From what I see, all his efforts are fruitless. Danny especially is no longer safe around Chin. His soothing influence is dwindling. Danny is human and the weakest link. I can't guarantee that my protection spell will work when Chin succumbs to his bloodlust and turns into a damphir. Whatever is out there, it is looking to unleash Hell on earth and influence the already-disturbed natural order. We have to do something. Enough Guardians have lost their lives. What are we waiting for?"

Sighing, Steve reached into the drawer of his desk and put an ancient-looking book on the table.

"Believe it or not, I was doing some research as well."

Even his voice sounded tired.

Now Kono knew the reason why Steve's desk was buried under a pile of paper. She got up to take a closer look over his shoulders. What she saw didn't lift her spirits.

After a couple of minutes, she said, "Okay, you should really talk to me, Steve McGarrett. Given the grimoire and some of these notes ... you're working on a blood spell. Are you aware of the consequences? You might have the strength of Beast, and you might know a lot about being a necromancer, but this . . . this is a whole different animal. Steve, you could die. You're NOT IMMORTAL!"

"I know it is a crazy idea, but I promise you, I know what I'm doing." Steve retorted.

"What if I find a way to locate the bodies, or just one? You could talk to their souls like you did in the case with the body shifter," Kono suggested.

Steve shook his head, "You already mentioned it. The victims seem to vanish from the surface of the earth. Two possibilities: someone is altering reality. Just a few minutes ago, you ruled that out. The other possibility would be that someone took them into another dimension, a world in between."

"You mean like Purgatory or Dreamtime?"

He shrugged.

"Call it whatever you like. And then, tell me you know how I could go there without putting me into a death-like state."

"I could send you into a coma and wipe that self-satisfied grin off your face. All in one single move," Danny interrupted the conversation while the door to Steve's office fell shut behind him.

"Danny, since when . . . ?" Kono asked, embarrassed.

He put a forefinger to his lips while looking straight into Steve's eyes and pretending to think hard.

"Let me see ... uh, I guess since you made it very clear that my little adrenaline junkie with a Super!SEAL complex isn't immortal."

Steve huffed out a breath, "I don't think you want to have this conversation any more than I do. So how about we just don't have it?"

"You know what they say about sociopaths and narcissists?" Danny countered.

"Danno ...." Steve warned.

"They leave a trail of burned bridges behind them. You want to die? Go and kill yourself. But don't expect me or Kono or Chin to stand aside twiddling our thumbs while watching you commit suicide."

Steve ground his jaw and put his hands on his hips.

"You know, fear makes people behave in a way that makes their fears come true."

Danny shook his head, vehemently.

"You say you come from a long line of necromancers, demon hunters, spellbinders, and God knows what. You forgot to mention lunatics."

Steve dropped his gaze to the floor. He knew Danny and Kono were right. Kono had a lot of experience in the magic field. Danny—well, Danny was Danny. A reasonable, honest person. He didn't have trouble telling him (Steve) that his behavior and H50's goals were incompatible. Sometimes, such a person could be a real pain in the ass.

"Danno, don't look at me like I'm the offspring of Hitler and Hyde." Steve tried to lighten the mood.

But all Danny did was mock him.

Steve made another attempt.

"Doubt is for things that don't know their purpose. I assure you; I know mine."

"Why just don't you write all that on sandpaper, roll it into a tube, and shove it up to your ass? I have absolutely no idea why I'm even arguing with you. In fact, I might as well be talking to a wall." Danny stated, then stormed out of the office.

"Now that went pretty well," Kono said.

Steve got up from his chair, excused himself, and hurried out of his office.

**H50H50H50**

Mumbling, Danny went to the parking lot. His jaw dropped together with his car keys as he saw Steve casually leaning against the Camaro with arms crossed over the chest and feet crossed over the ankles.

"Do you think you can yell obscenities at me and then leave?" he quipped.

Danny picked up the keys, gave his partner a lopsided grin, and replied, "First, why am I not surprised. Second, obviously, I can."

"Lame."

Danny felt visually fondled by Steve's looks.

"Oh, now you think you do your macho thing, and I will ..."

Steve's eyes darkened. Instead of an answer, he pulled Danny into his arms, spun him around, and pinned him with his full weight against the car. Danny tried to speak, to protest, but Steve pushed his tongue into the blond's mouth with a harsh groan. The kiss was demanding. Danny thought hot liquid pumped through his veins instead of blood. A hot potent liquid that had him burning up. He thrust his body against Steve's. Suddenly, alarm bells were ringing in Danny's head. His eyes flew open, the magic was gone, and Steve let go of him.

Their eyes met. Steve's were still dark. His body radiated heat like an oven on a cold winter's night.

Danny inhaled sharply, then spoke in a low, husky voice, "Try harder. I am not that easy to convince. And I am not your god-damn bitch, Steven. You used your powers on me."

Without further ado, Danny opened the car door, slid behind the wheel and drove off, tires squealing.

Steve went back to his office, his head spinning like a Ferris wheel.

Kono was still where he'd left her.

"Sorry," he said.

"No problem. Let me guess, no brownie points for you," Kono said with a hint of Schadenfreude.

"Nope, not at all," Steve plopped into his chair, looking lost.

"Danny wears his heart on his sleeve. You know that he is not really mad at you. He's worried. though, he won't admit it."

Kono's words hit him because she was telling him the truth.

"He might not have been mad before he drove off. Now, I am no longer sure about it," Steve muttered and stretched his long legs under the table.

"Then, I don't know. Whatever you did to him, do me a favor and be less of a jerk. We all seem to be under the influence of something bigger, and I am not talking about the full moon. Like Chin, you are not yourself."

"Now, you are blaming me?" Steve asked.

"No, I'm trying to find an explanation for all the weirdness," Kono replied.

Disbelievingly, Steve stared at her as she moved her hand to open the book in front of him to show him a specific page. "I may have found a way to make the blood spell work without killing you off," Kono said.

"Really?" asked Steve.

His senses came back to life.

"Under one condition: you do it under my watch. You're not flying solo," Kono said.

"Pinky swear?" Steve quipped, offering her his pinky.

Why was Kono sure this wasn't such a good idea?


	4. Chapter 4

The parking lot and the surrounding area looked abandoned. With a grim look on his face, Chin got off the car. Kono stayed put and kept working on her laptop. Shortly afterward, Danny joined them. Curiously he peeked into the car. He admired how Kono's fingers flew over the keyboard.

"Wouldn't it be easier to breach the security system with some hocus pocus?" he suggested.

She'd been so highly concentrated that his words startled her. "Danny, you really shouldn't sneak up on me like that. I could easily turn you into a guinea pig, or a rat, or a cockroach. . ."

"Why do your words sound so damn familiar to me? Uh, I know. Because I've told the same thing to Steve, only I was talking about the gun I'm carrying. But thanks for the warning. I swear, I'll do my best never to scare you again. I should probably wear a bell around my neck. At best, a cowbell."

Danny tapped the car's roof, then straightened his back and went over to Chin. A thunderstorm was approaching, and the air was too humid for Danny's taste. He loosened his tie, then undid his collar as he thought he was about to choke.

Chin hadn't moved one inch since Danny's arrival.

"You could easily pass for one of Madame de Sade's waxwork," the blond quipped.

"Tussauds," Chin corrected him. "And you are the only guy I know who wears a dress shirt and tie during a rescue mission."

Danny waved him off. "Egad, tell me, what's the plan? Are we going in to save Steve's ass and resuscitate him with a magic defibrillator? I truly hope we arrived on time. Kono will do her mumbo jumbo . . . And we all can live happily ever after as one happy little Ohana . . . one happy creepy little Ohana . . . considering . . .”

Chin turned his head, staring daggers at Danny.

"I know, too much input," he admitted. "I should shut my cakehole before you go all Schwarzenegger on me. Okay, for the losers in the back, what's the plan? I never broke into a morgue. I mean, I had no reason for it."

Another glare silenced Danny. He pretended to close his mouth with an imaginary zipper and throw away the key.

Kono showed up. "I've cracked the code. The security cameras are running in a loop. You should have enough time to get Steve out of there, Danny."

"No problem, with the Terminator on my side, I'm sure..."

"I'm not coming with you," Chin retorted.

"No, why should you?" Danny's voice got a pitch higher. "Could you just stop bullshitting me. Of course, you're coming with me. I know we had some issues in the past, but hey, I can forgive and forget."

Danny tapped Chin's shoulder. No reaction.

"He can't," Kono chimed in.

Pissed, Danny pulled back his hand. "Flipping around corpses is against his belief now or what?"

"The morgue is protected by a glamor, an invisible wand. That's why I had to hack into the system rather than pulling some magical stunts from outside. As soon as Chin is crossing the threshold, he's either dusted or goes up in flames."

Danny's shoulders twitched.

Seconds later, he burst into laughter. "Sorry," he apologized, gasping for air. "I'm overcompensating. All the stress in the past weeks and now Steve lying in the morgue—dead, but hopefully not THAT dead. And now you tell me that old Chin here is going to..."

Danny's hands emphasized his words as he started another attempt to talk while keeping a straight face at the same time. "You're sure, Kono? Chin will go POOF when setting a foot into the morgue."

Chin had crossed his arms over his chest and stared at the ground, shaking and muttering, "I told you Happy Meal wouldn't be of any great help. I can probably have him for dinner with some whipped cream and a cherry on top," he snarled.

Kono had had enough: "Boys, at the moment, both of you aren't of any great help. Time's ticking away. We have to get Steve out of there. I would go myself, but like Chin, I can't. I would be stripped of all my powers immediately."

Danny pursed his lips. Kono held up a hand. "Before you jump to any conclusions … it's not a very pleasant thing to experience. It's the equivalent of being skinned alive."

"Ouch. Sorry. And speaking of being stripped of all your powers, what happened to Snow White when they brought him here?" Danny asked, "How about his, you know, roomie? How big are the chances that if I am waltzing in there without any magical backup, I will be eaten alive?"

"No worries, Danny. Steve's body is a soulless hull," Kono explained.

Danny gave her a questioning look.

"He is just a meatsuit," Chin added.

"Cousin, please," Kono shook her head, "Danny…."

"No, thanks, I've got it. I'll imagine I am going into a slaughterhouse to get a piece of meat. Any last words before I, you know..." Danny pointed at the entrance.

Kono handed him an earpiece. "This is the only way to support you. I have the blueprints of the building, so I'll be guiding you through the morgue as best as I can."

"Where is Max when you need him?" Danny mumbled. Suddenly, he was missing the coroner. The guy would have been of great help tonight.

"He's still playing Van Helsing in Rome, together with some old farts. Their vampire problem is much bigger than they thought. Vamps infiltrated even the Vatican," Chin replied before Danny turned on his heels and was gone.

**505050**

Carefully, Danny opened the back door. His heart was pounding like a jackhammer. He waited for the alarm to go off. Thankfully, it didn't.

"Good job Kono," he whispered, "where do I head from here?"

"Look around you. There must be signs leading to the various sections of the morgue," she told him.

"Copy that."

Only slowly did Danny's eyes adjust to the dimly lit corridors. He got rid of his tie and stuffed it in his trouser pocket. Chin had been right; he was definitely wearing the wrong clothes. Following Kono's instruction over the earpiece, it took him about ten minutes to locate one of the mortuaries. Danny hoped it was the right one, as there were three, and he wasn't up to doing a tour de force through the morgue alone. And who could tell if the dead in here stayed dead? Yes, Kono had mentioned the glamour protected the building from foul magic play, but who knew?

"Danny, did you find him?" Kono's voice tore him from his thoughts. "Due to the paperwork, Steve's body should be behind this door."

After Danny entered, his heart sank. Great, the room was filled from floor to ceiling with approximately twenty identical black body bags. He jumped almost out of his skin as the door closed behind him with a thud. It sounded final. The darkness that suddenly surrounded him wasn't lifting his mood, either. He fumbled for his phone and scrolled through the apps until he found the flashlight app. Within a heartbeat, the room was illuminated and offered Danny a sad view. No one in here would ever return home to his loved ones. Some of them would end in mass graves as there were no relatives left to pick them up. Danny swallowed, then told himself, "Enough of that brooding, time to focus on saving Steve."

"Kono, can you tell me which one of the stiffs is Steve?" Danny whispered.

 _Why was he whispering?_ He thought.

"Sorry, I can barely hear you," Kono said. "The system is going to shut down. You have to hurry."

"Kono?"

Static noise.

"Kono? Can you hear me?"

Static noise. Excellent, now he was entirely on his own, caught up in a tiny room with a bunch of rotting corpses. He hoped this wasn't the scene from _The Walking Dead_ , where a hand suddenly reaches out of one of those bags.

Danny took the phone in his mouth, put on a pair of black latex gloves, and started searching the body bags one by one. _Oh, what joy! He_ thought.

Some of the bodies were in terrible shape, and soon the small room reeked of decay. Danny's claustrophobia became apparent. He tried to even his breath. A panic attack was the last thing he needed. Why did he feel like an artist juggling five balls at once? "Focus!" he ordered himself.—

As Danny moved around, the dancing light from his phone threw bizarre shadows on the wall, making him jump several times, as it looked as if the body bags were moving. But, he hoped, that was just imagination.

Danny huffed out a breath and cursed as the phone almost dropped out of his mouth. He put it under his chin. At one point, he retched until his stomach heaved, and his eyes watered. That body he just examined must have been in the water for some time. "Nope, definitely not Steve," Danny muttered, zipping the bag shut in a hurry. Thank God he'd had only coffee this morning. Otherwise, he would have redecorated the room with the breakfast leftovers.

Nine was the lucky number. Though Steve's face was covered with blood, Danny immediately recognized him. He took a moment to study his friend's facial expression. Steve's eyes were closed. He looked peaceful. The blond wasn't sure what he'd expected. Maybe eyes or mouth or both wide, frozen in one last silent scream. No doubt, he would have a word with Steve, assuming they could bring him back.

An inner voice told Danny to get into gear. He zipped up the body bag and memorized his way to the door because he would have to take the last steps in utter darkness, as he had to tuck his phone away. Then he grabbed the bag and shouldered Steve's body.

"I swear I'm going to put you on a diet," Danny squeezed out between clenched teeth. His knees buckled, and the first few steps were unsteady, but little by little, he got used to the dead weight on his shoulders. Nevertheless, he was glad Chin took over as soon as he passed the morgue's magic threshold.

Out of breath, Danny bent forward, propped his arms on his knees, and watched Chin carry Steve's lifeless body effortlessly to the car.

"That's unfair, dude. At least show me a drop of sweat on your forehead," Danny gasped while every muscle in his body was screaming.

It was Kono who came to his rescue. She helped Danny straighten up, slung her arm around his waist, and urged him to put his arm around her shoulders. "Lean on me," she ordered. Danny almost laughed at the idea that this little bundle of sass was about saving their asses, with a lot of wits and her mumbo-jumbo, as he called upon her magic abilities—bare of all muscle power, claws, or teeth. No pun intended.

Danny was glad Kono took his keys.

"I could get used to having a chauffeuse," muttered Danny, while he slipped onto the backseat, where Chin had put Steve's bagged body.

"I wonder what Steve would say about this idea," Kono teased. She glanced in the rearview mirror and made sure Danny had made himself more or less comfortable before she started the engine.

"He would be super pissed," Danny replied with a big fat grin on his face. Then he put Steve's head on his lap, carefully.

Following Chin's car, Kono stepped on the gas. Their last stop would be a crypt at an ancient, abandoned cemetery where some of Kono's friends were already waiting for them. Danny couldn't remember the name of the location because it was way too late to concentrate on Hawaiian names. None of the team members knew what they would have to deal with at the cemetery or how things would turn out. Absentmindedly, Danny stroked the body bag until his eyelids grew heavy, and he drifted off to sleep.

**_Meanwhile, on the other side . . ._ **

The perfect description for this godforsaken place, where Steve had ended up after working the blood spell, would be a figment of an H.R. Giger imagination combined with a nightmare of Hieronymus Bosch. _Not even Death would feel comfortable in this ungodly environment_ , Steve thought.

Although he was sure he'd followed the instructions for the ritual strictly, he realized that his plan could probably go south. The journey had been more than rough. Upon entering this dimension, Steve thought his body would be torn apart. The pain was excruciating. His healing abilities seemed to take ages until he was more or less back on his feet. Also, he'd expected to be attacked immediately. In vain. Where was his welcome committee? A wave of nausea washed over him. He shook his head to get rid of the cobwebs. There was definitely something off. The ritual took its toll; it seemed.

A gust of wind snapped him out of his thoughts. A shape—coming out of nowhere—manifested itself in front of him. If he'd expected the hunchback or another monster, he would be highly disappointed because he found himself opposite a child.

"Surprised?" the little girl asked.

Steve shook his head. "A kid? Seriously. That's what you are offering me? Do you think it would keep me from beheading you? This cheap trick?" He sounded disgusted.

The girl gave him a quick once-over then said, "You came a long way, McGarrett. And you have a big mouth for a mortal. Or better, a mortal with a special add-on. Only because one of your ancestors royally fucked up."

She moved her hand, and suddenly Steve felt Beast's presence in a way he'd never experienced it before.

The little girl chuckled, "What would you say if I let him play with you for a bit?" Her hands balled into fists; the green in her eyes flared up.

Steve grounded his jaw. The veins and muscles in his neck stood out as the pain increased. He could feel himself burning from the inside. His face turned crimson.

"My world, my rules," she said triumphantly.

Steve's head felt like it was about to explode. His nose started bleeding profusely. But instead of red, the blood was pitch black.

As soon as the droplets touched the ground, Steve could hear thunder roaring in the distance, and with each additional drop, it grew louder, until the ground beneath their feet began to shake.

The girl cried out loud and let go of Steve.

Greedily, he sucked air into his lungs and snapped, "My body, my magic, my rules."


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. But over the past few weeks, I had to wear a splint as I suffered the worst tendonitis ever. Still have to take care. Please bear with me. Thank you!

Chin carried Steve's body to the crypt at the old cemetery, followed by Danny and Kono. Three women and a familiar face were awaiting them already.

While Chin and Kono entered, Danny stopped short.

"Kamekona, what the heck?" he said.

His friend wore an Aloha shirt and Bermuda shorts and had some flyers in one hand.

"What are you doing here? Selling midnight snacks? Putting a flyer on every gravestone?"

Kamekona grinned from one ear to the other.

"You don't know, do you?"

Danny arched a brow, asking, "Should I? Spit it out. I'm not in the mood for riddles."

Kamekona grimaced.

"I'm the protector of the witches."

"Now you're a bodyguard? Don't you have enough on your plate already?"

"No bodyguard. It's a secret, but you're a good friend. Call me a grandmaster. You'll find the details in the flyer. It's only for the gifted."

Reluctantly, Danny took one of the flyers, tucked it away in the back pocket of his trousers, and entered the crypt. A sea of candles flooded the otherwise dark place with warm light.

Steve lay on an ancient stone sarcophagus. Kono and the other three women were undressing him.

Danny was alarmed. With a few resolute strides, he closed the distance between himself and his colleague.

Grabbing Kono by the shoulder, he snapped, "Wait, wait, wait! What the hell you guys think you're doing? Why are you undressing Steve? I'm sure there's a difference between necromancy and necrophilia."

Kono answered without turning around: "Danny, this is serious witch business. We have to undress Steve and wash him."

Danny inhaled sharply and asked, "What? But why?"

"It's part of the ritual," Kono went on. "We have to get rid of every single blood droplet. Otherwise, we won't be able to reverse the spell, and his soul will be trapped in limbo forever. No worries, we take good care of him. And now step back, please."

Danny swallowed and went over to Chin, who had closed his eyes.

"Napping. Now? Are you serious?"

"Shhhhh, I'm concentrating. I'm calling the elders," Chin said.

"Okay. Why does everybody know what to do except for me? Oh, yes. I'm only human." Danny mumbled, more to himself than anyone.

After thoroughly cleansing Steve's body, the witches formed a circle and took each other's hands, chanting words of a long-forgotten language while their murmur grew louder and louder. The flames of the candles grew higher. Danny felt every hair at the nape of his neck stand on end. Goosebumps rose all over his body. He had to fight the urge to run. Run as fast and as far away as he could.

The blond almost jumped out of his skin as Chin started making hissing sounds like a snake.

_Jumbled pictures, fragments of words, the sound of clashing swords, thunder, a familiar voice._

"Steve!" Chin hollered out, finally. With the help of the elders, he'd been able to trace his friend back to this other dimension.

While Chin was still in the crypt, he'd managed to project his body astrally.

On arrival, he forced his eyes open, and it felt like being caught in his worst nightmare: whispers, desperate screams. The earth beneath him was moving. Many hands, some rotten, some bony, reached for him, tried to force him to the ground. An unbearable stench hit his nostrils. Before he fell, he was back in the crypt. His vision was blurry. One of the voices still stuck in his head. He tried to concentrate, but ongoing nausea made it impossible.

Chin pressed his palms against his temples. Danny was talking to him, was trying to steady him as he started to sway. Kono's mind raced. She wanted to find out what was going on behind her. Impossible. Breaking the circle now would mean death for everyone present.

"Chin, Chin? Hey! Breathe, dude, breathe." Danny did the best he could to calm his teammate. His instinct told him that Chin's bizarre behavior originated in the ritual, and he feared that any intervention from his side would only worsen things.

"Steve . . . don't." Chin reached out to McGarrett's still form. "It's a trap! LEAVE!"

Steve's nose was suddenly bleeding.

"Hurry!" Chin said between clenched teeth. A wave of nausea washed over him. He pushed Danny aside and hurried outside. Chin felt like he was on fire. He wanted nothing more than to tear off his clothes. He got rid of his leather jacket, dropped to his knees, and vomited. The world around him went dark. All Danny could do was stand there and watch the whole scenario in horror.

**On the other side**

The huge, dirty grin distorted the little girl's face. "Oh, oh. Your friends seem to work against you. Didn't you tell them to keep their fingers out of your business? What a waste of time. How about I put an end to your misery? I kill you, and you stay with me forever. Every day I am going to tear you apart, bit by bit. And then I put the pieces back together, and we start all over again."

Steve cursed inwardly. Something very powerful was pulling at him. His form started to flicker.

"Bitch! What the fuck are you doing?"

She shrugged. "Told you. It's not me. There's another player in the game."

Steve's efforts to regain control failed miserably. And before he knew what happened to him, the girl was about to give another blow to end his life.

**Back at the crypt**

The temperature in the crypt had dropped dramatically. Danny could see his breath. The candles were barely flickering. In horror, Danny watched Steve's naked body levitating, which was a sight for sore eyes if the circumstances were different. The chanting stopped.

Steve's blood-curdling scream echoed from the walls of the crypt. Before his body crashed down on the sarcophagus, Danny came to his rescue, shoving himself between Kono and one of the other witches and catching him. Kind of. His strong arms prevented his lover from hurting himself.

Silence.

Steve awoke with a start, screaming. Danny, scared to death, followed suit.

Kamekona and Chin were back in the crypt in no time, prepared to defend their friend's life, no matter what.

Instead, they found Steve buck naked in the arms of his lover, Danny, both of them screaming at the top of their lungs. The witches were cracking up. Was this the beginning of the Apocalypse?

Looking around, Steve and Danny became aware of how bizarre the whole scenario was. They shut up, exchanged some confused gazes, and couldn't help but burst into laughter.

It was only then that Steve realized that he was missing something important. Shocked, he looked down at his body and then straight into Danny's puppy dog eyes.

"Danno, what the hell you think you're doing, and where the hell are my clothes?"

"You were levitating. When the witches stopped chanting, your body dropped. All I did was save you from some nasty bruises. That's what friends are for. Preventing each other from harm. According to your reproachful look, it's not what you've been expecting."

Danny pulled his arms out from under his friend's body.

Steve sat up. Kono gave him a towel without even looking at him. Embarrassed and lost for words, Steve slung it around his waist. Kono's friends were whispering and giggling behind his back.

Furious, Steve turned around. "I thought we had a deal. Why did you fuck up my plan? I already had her. I could've killed her easily."

Kono shook her head. "The deal was NOT. FLYING. SOLO. You were supposed to wait for us. But you had nothing better to do then going all in. Alone. Look at you. Your nose is bleeding, and your bruises should be healed by now, but they aren't. You put yourself in grave danger. You weren't about to kill her; she was about to kill you."

Steve was searching for words. "That's ridiculous," he blurted out.

"It had been a trap," Chin interrupted him.

"A trap? How could you know that, brah? You weren't even there."

"I don't know, Steve. But during the ritual, I felt some kind of bond. I heard what you heard. I saw what you saw. At least I think so. I was drawn back and forth between here and there. Like a rollercoaster out of control. It was a crucial experience, even for me."

"Maybe it was wrong for all of you to interfere with my ritual," Steve snapped.

"Maybe you spiked your potion with the wrong herbs or misspelled a verb. Why is it always Chin or Kono or me? Why isn't it you who fucked up? It was you who scared the shit out of us and had been declared dead. It was me who dragged your sorry ass out of the morgue while Kono, Kamekona, their friends and Chin, made sure you wouldn't end up as soulless dead meat. Instead of blaming your friends, it's time to come to terms with yourself, McTowel."

Fuming, Danny turned on his heel and left before his hand closed around his friend's neck in a way that was far from an endearing gesture.

"McTowel?" Steve mumbled and shook his head slowly.

Kono turned to Chin, "I think you and I should consult with the spirit world sooner rather than later."

Chin's throat was sore and dry; his craving for blood was overwhelming. His eyes darkened.

Steve was immediately aware of the danger. "Kamekona, take him to the headquarters, NOW. Kono, make sure your friends get home safe. I get Danny, and we all meet at the headquarters, then."

"Okay, boss," she said, took the car keys from her jeans pocket, and put them into his hand. "I've some spare clothes for you in the trunk. My gut told me you'd need some, McTowel."

It was clear that this would become a running gag for the next few days.

Steve went outside, and when he was one step away from the crypt entrance when a soft cold breeze stroked his body and gave him goosebumps. Simultaneously, he noticed a movement between the gravestones, and someone called his name. At least, he thought he heard something. He felt Beast's presence in him stronger than ever. This was not a good sign. He hoped he hadn't brought a visitor from the other side along with him. Maybe he should share his impressions with his friends? But he decided against it. Chin was in a much worse condition than he. Putting more pressure on the team based on nothing but a hunch was the wrong choice.

Danny watched Steve get dressed. He'd managed to get his anger under control. He'd hoped that Kamekona would accept his offer to take care of Chin. But the big guy had denied it, friendly but determined. He explained it with his profound knowledge as a grandmaster of the coven. For Kamekona, it was easy to put Chin to sleep if his condition worsened, while Danny would probably end up with his throat ripped out.

Alone the idea scared him away to play the chauffeur for Chin. He instead drove with Steve, even though his friend was probably still pissed about the morale lecture he'd given him earlier.

But Danny must have been wrong. Could it be that he saw something like fear in Steve's eyes when he approached him?

"Are you okay?" Steve asked, worried. Danny looked a little green around the gills.

"It wasn't me who was torn from a hell dimension back to the here and now. So, yeah, I'm doing pretty good given that late-night freak show," Danny stated dryly.

After a short pause, he asked quietly, in a more conciliatory tone, "And? Would you like to get behind the wheel?"

To Danny's surprise, Steve shook his head, "No, thanks. I've had enough action for one day."


	6. Chapter 6

_**A few days later** _

Exhausted, Steve dropped the duffle bag on the floor. Slightly disgusted, he looked down at himself—déjà vu. There were blood spatters all over his shirt, jeans, and hands. He'd only washed his face thoroughly before he'd left. Thank God, this time, it'd been just the blood of a chicken. Having a heart to heart talk with the dead wasn't complicated. Not with his abilities. And it was easier to get in contact with someone who hadn't died long ago. Then he needed a lesser amount of blood. 

His gaze fell onto the meeting room. A dim light was on, and he could hear low voices from behind the closed door. Curious, he opened it and found Kono sitting in front of some take out boxes, and Chin next to a half-empty bottle of Absinth. His gut told him something wasn't right.

"Hi guys, it looks like a shitload of trouble in paradise." Steve quipped. 

"Isn't it great to have at least one happy camper around?" Chin sneered, downed another glass of Absinth, and refilled.

Kono picked at her food. She looked back and forth between the two men. Then she threw an apologetic look at her team leader.

"Is there something I need to know? Has somebody died?" 

Silence.

Steve ran his fingers through his hair and immediately felt the sticky sensation of blood on his hand. Fuck. He wiped his hand in his trousers. Not the best idea. He made a hissing sound.

Now, he got the full attention of his two teammates. Kono's eyes widened in disbelief; Chin tensed up when he caught a whiff of blood. 

"Shit," Steve cursed. But nothing happened. Chin didn't freak out, no black eyes, no blitz attack. 

Konto pointed towards the bottle, "It's the Absinth. It puts his inner demon to sleep. Not for long but long enough to give him some rest."

Chin gave Steve a lopsided grin, "You're still fond of blood smoothies?"

Steve smirked, "Don't worry, this time, it's been chicken."

"Chicken?" Chin eyed him up and down. "Disputes of inheritance lost jewelry, last words that'd never been uttered, settle outstanding scores ... Brah, I thought we were through with this shit."

Steve sat down, let out a sigh. "I owed Kamekona."

Kono grinned, "Why am I not surprised? What was it this time? A forgotten treasure? A lost lottery ticket?"

"Nope. It's was about auntie Clara's safe deposit box at the First Hawaiian Bank and the matching key. As you all know, her husband had made a fortune with his Hedge Fund. Clara died before she could tell the whole story to her family."

"Kamekona wasn't even part of this family," Chin deadpanned.

"I know. But old Kame took care of her when she got sick. In comparison, her kids didn't give a rats ass about their mother. She'd mentioned that to me when we met at Kamekona's shrimp truck a few months ago. Her last will was in that box."

"Could you help him?" Kono.

Steve nodded. "Yes, I could. All her money goes to the Hawaiian Institute of Marine Biology. And a small amount to Kamekona. I don't want to know what her family has to say about that."

Steve banged his fist at the table. "Enough with the small talk. "What bullshit is going on."

Kono shoved her plate aside.

"You remember what went down during and after the ritual. When we tried to save your life?"

"It's all in a blur, but I can recall some major parts of it."

"And you remember Chin and what this ritual did to him?" Kono got into it.

"What are you trying to tell me? And, and where is Danny?" Steve blurted out.

"One thing after another." Chin put a glass of Absinth on the table, right in front of Steve. "You might need one when we're done talking."

Steve looked at his friends with growing curiosity.

"Spit it out," he snapped.

"Chin's inner beast and yours share a bond. That's neither something good nor something bad. At the moment, I can't tell you much more about it, only that it's odd. Cause you're not related."

"That's it? That's the whole damned story?" Steve shook his head.

"I'm not done yet." Kono went on. 

"Shall his inner beast and mine sit down for a little chat? Talk about how to stop all the cruelty and world peace?" Steve suggested.

"That's not funny, boss," Kono said. 

"Today, Chin and I did some research at the crypt. It was still brimming with magical energy. This whole thing had been a gigantic supernatural booby trap. The thinning veil, the missing keepers. It had only one goal. To lure you into the Never Never."

Steve licked his lips nervously. "You mean the veil wasn't thinning? The Keepers didn't vanish? Did someone make that up? For me? For us?"

"I'm afraid, yes." Kono swallowed. 

"It's not your fault, Steve," Chin said, after downing another glass of Absinth. "We all fell for it."

"Did you guys find out who or what we are up to?" Steve wanted to know.

They shook their head in sync. "All we know is that you brought something back with you." Kono's voice trembled a bit.

"But I wasn't aware ... I mean, shouldn't I've felt a presence?" Steve remembered the cold breeze and started to shiver. "Unless ..."

"Unless, what?" Kono asked.

"Unless it has something to do with what I felt when I left the crypt. It was cold, gave me the creeps. Not likely to happen these days."

Chin nodded slowly, then grimaced. "You had a stowaway on board. We detected small amounts of ectoplasm, not visible."

Steve pressed the palm of his right hand against his forehead. "Instead of saving people from harm, we started the show. Fuck it. Dammit. How stupid had I been?"

Chin and Kono exchanged concerned looks.

"There's one more thing we have to tell you. It's about Danny." Kono muttered.

"Don't tell me this thing chooses to possess our blond whirlwind," Steve grumbled.

"Danny is a Gifted." Chin blurted out.

"A Gifted? How come?" Now, Steve was real taken aback.

A gifted was an offspring of a fallen angel and a human female. By now, only a handful of them exist. The elders have decided that this behavior is out of the question. It is punishable by banishment, ex-communication, and even death.

Chin's voice tore Steve from his thoughts.

"Kamekona gave him one of his flyers," he explained. "They look like the menu for his shrimp truck. Only a Gifted can see or read the hidden message. It's written in Enochian."

"Could Danny read it?"

Kono got up. "No. For him, it was just symbols."

"That means?"

"He isn't aware of what he is. And before you ask, he's not growing wings, either." Kono said tongue in cheek. 

"So no free flights with air Danno, then." Steve didn't know what else to say.

"Shall we tell him about it? I could put up some tests to check on him." She suggested.

Steve shook his head, violently, "No, no. No tests. I will spread the news to him. Where's he?"

"He got Gracie from to school. Cause Rachel was running late." Kono took a look at her watch. "I think he should be home already."

"Fine, then ..."

Out of nowhere, searing pain ripped through Steve's chest, forcing him to his knees. He was gasping for air. A zillion stars exploded in front of his inner eye. What the fuck?

Chin and Kono were at his side, immediately. Next thing he knew, he lost his sense of hearing. He saw his teammates talking, then yelling at him. His vision switched from regular to infrared and back. Now his whole body started to ache. 

Panic took hold of him. Wait. Were his incisors elongating? 

No, no, please no. Beast had never tried to take the upper hand when Steve was awake. He wondered if that was even possible, against his will, closed his eyes, and tried to focus. He'd learned a method when he'd been in a monastery deep in a jungle in the middle of nowhere three years ago. It was like riding a bike. Once you've learned it, you never forgot it. It took him a few seconds to slow down his heartbeat. His hearing returned. Finally, he managed to extinguish the pain. 

Chin and Kono were still pulling at him, yelling at each other desperately.

"Stop it." He ordered. He had to repeat it two more times until they realized that Steve had returned from his horror trip.

They helped him up. His knees were wobbly; he was embarrassed. Fuck, he was supposed to be their leader. It was the second time around he'd let his guard down in front of them. Angrily he tore himself away from his friends.

"I'm okay; I'm okay. You can stop babysit me," Steve snapped.

Protectively, Chin shoved Kono behind him. Steve checked his body and vitals briefly. Nothing. Everything was fine. No sign that Beast was still in an uproar.

He cleared his throat before insecurely asking, "Did ... did I shift? I mean, did I look unusual to you? Like a... demon?"

Kono knitted her brows. Chin looked at his friend like he'd lost his mind. 

"Hell, no!" both said unison.

"What makes you think you did?" Kono asked worriedly.

Steve made a dismissive gesture, "Nothing, nothing. Just a thought. I think I'm still confused. I should go home."

"Are you sure? One of us could give you a ride." Kono offered.

"Thanks, but no thanks." He left in such a hurry that one could think, the Horseman of the Apocalypse were on his heels. And given the latest events, who could be sure of anything?

On his way home, Steve floored the gas pedal. Like speeding could help him get rid of the fear that still got hold of him. An unknown and therefore unpleasant feeling, he had to admit.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW

The house was dark. Danny had gone to sleep. No problem. He was going to wake him up after his shower. Steve undressed, letting his blood-smeared clothing drop to the floor in a heap. Then he turned on the hot water and stepped under the showerhead. Gasping at the force and the heat of it, he gave in, closing his eyes as the hot shower relaxed him. Shampooing and quickly lathering his body, he stood under the jets, unmoving for what seemed like hours. Steve enjoyed the steamy mindlessness as it pummeled him. Exhausted, he leaned his head against the tiled wall and closed his eyes.

A GRAVEYARD

SMASHED COFFINS

CORPSES, PARTIALLY DECAYED

LIGHTING STRIKES FROM THE SKY

SKELETONS SCATTERED ACROSS THE FLOOR LIKE CONFETTI

"WHOA, WHAT THE FUCK ...." Steve yelled and leaped out of the shower like a bat out of hell.

His heart hammered in his chest.

He fetched a towel, slung it around his waist, almost slipped but caught himself at the sink and stumbled into the living room.

"Steve? What the hell are you doing down there? Redecorating the bathroom? Isn't it a bit early for so much action?" Danny was bent over the railing, still half asleep but not unarmed.

Steve startled as he discovered the gun in Danny's hand.

"Stop waving around the damn gun, Danno! I'm not bulletproof, and I'm quite allergic to the silver bullets inside of it."

"I was only guessing it was you. What if it had been an intruder or Chin who's been overwhelmed by his hunger for a sexy blond cop from Jersey?" Danny quipped.

"That's not funny. Put the gun back in the closet and come here. We gotta talk."

"Yes, sir. At your command, sir. Shall I bring the handcuffs, the butt plug, and the whip with me, master?"

"Stupid little goof!" Steve couldn't help but grin. However, he was still a bit jumpy.

Shortly afterward, they faced each other in the living room. Steve still with the towel around his waist and Danny in boxers and a shirt that read 'momma's boy.'

"You're dripping."

"I know I'm dripping."

"Then why don't you go and change?"

"Why should I? I like this feeling."

Steve's grin broadened.

"Could ... could you do me a favor?"

"Anything you want, Danno." Steve was about to burst into a fit of laughter.

"You said it's urgent. You made me come down and now ... STOP WITH THAT SILLY GRIN! I just grabbed a shirt in the dark. I won it at a funfair, once. Now, tell me the fuck, what's bothering you, or I swear, you have the couch for another night."

Desperately, Steve tried to keep a straight face. But the shirt and Danny jumping around like Rumpelstiltskin didn't make it easier for him.

"I stood in the shower with my well-shaped, sexy body, starting to relax .... bwahahahahahah."

Steve laughed so hard that his tummy started to ache while Danny looked like he would go on a killing spree.

"Sorry, so sorry, Danno. But this shirt. It's priceless. You ... bwahahahahaha."

His laughing fit turned into a coughing fit, and Steve started gasping for air. The fun was over, Danny's anger gone.

He hurried into the bathroom and fetched Steve's asthma spray from the mirror cabinet. Thankfully, Steve took it and inhaled deeply two times. He felt better in an instant.

Danny led him to the couch, and they sat down. He slung his arm around Steve's shoulders.

"You okay?" Danny asked softly and worried.

Steve's breathing evened out; the touch offered comfort to him. He nodded.

"I'm okay, I'm okay." He said hoarsely, while desperately trying to regain his composure.

"Can we talk now? I swear, I will go outside and burn this damned shirt on the beach later."

"I'm fine. The shirt's a keeper." Steve gave him a warm smile.

Danny got up.

Steve reluctantly started to talk. He wasn't sure if he should come forward with the whole story and decided to leave out the part about the gifted. He thought they'd enough on their plate already. No need to bother Danny with a story about his angel-human ancestors, who had an illicit sexual encounter. And that he was somehow the outcome of this forbidden relationship. What if Kono and Chin were wrong? Danny was able to detect hidden symbols on a menu. Well, he'd been around so much magic lately. It could be mere coincidence. Steve's inner voice could be compelling at times.

In the meantime, Danny had returned from the kitchen with a tall glass of water.

"What, no beer?"

Danny pushed the glass into Steve's hand, "Shut up and drink."

He drained the glass in one big gulp. Then he kept on with his story. Danny chewed on his lips the whole time. He didn't dare to interrupt him. After Steve was done talking, their eyes locked.

The tension that always lingered between them grew unbearable. Without further ado, he pulled Danny into his arms, tore the shirt over his head, and Steve trailed his open mouth along Danny's stubbly jaw up to his ears.

"Steven," a warning wrapped in so much desire it might as well have been a plea.

A groan escaped Danny's throat. He shivered.

"Upstairs, now," Steve ordered while his hot breath ghosted over Danny's ear.

He needed all of his strength to obey. Danny threw a glance over his shoulder to make sure his lover was on his heels.

"You know this is going to get messy," the blond said half-joking, half full of desire.

As soon as they reached the master bedroom, Steve shoved Danny against the cupboard and turned him around, so they were facing each other. Steve grabbed Danny's hands and yanked them upward while using his free hand to push down his boxers.

"Let's make this a night to remember," Steve mumbled before he sealed their lips together in a searing kiss. The towel was long gone. Their hard cocks were trapped between them but not for long as Steve dropped to his knees. His tongue ran a wet path down from Danny's belly until his warm, soft lips closed over the blond's silk, hard-as-a-rock cock to swallow him completely.

Danny's eyes rolled back in his skull. Long pulls, suction, and a tongue teasing with each wet slide down his cock drew all manner of curses and Hail Mary's from his mouth. But he wanted more. He wanted to feel Steve inside him, buried to the hilt. Danny laced his fingers through the dark hair, still damp from the shower, pulled him off his cock, and yanked Steve's head into another kiss, their tongues battling.

Steve was about to reach for the lube and the condoms in the nightstand when suddenly his vision shifted into infrared mode. It felt like someone was driving a knife through his skull right into the middle of his brain. The sensation hit him with the force of an oncoming freight train.

Immediately, he let go of Danny, who cried out as something sharp as a razor cut deep into his side. Steve's eyes widened in horror as he discovered the claws on his right hand. A brief sideways glance in the mirror confirmed his horrible suspicion. Beast was about to gain the upper hand over him. Anything but that, Steve thought in panic.

The bizarre situation was topped by the fact that his butt-naked lover was pointing a gun right at him for the second time around, tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mille Gracie to my lovely co-pilot adaywithcoffee


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW

Almost a week had passed since the incident. Steve had gone off the grid. At least he had left a short, albeit cryptic message on Danny's voicemail.

The blond had told Chin and Kono about what happened, sparing them the delicate details. Meanwhile, Kono had taken care of Danny's wounds with a mixture of herbs. He was healing fast.

The three of them stood around the gadget table and watched the monitors. There hadn't been any more supernatural incidents lately, but the team was sure they hadn't stopped completely.

They needed to dig deeper, and so Kono had combined her witchcraft with modern-day satellite technology. The outcome was impressive. She'd created a map with local magical hot spots. Some of them were very active. Danny and Chin followed their leads and made some arrests in the wake of it. Unfortunately, nothing stood out or was the breakthrough they were hoping for.

"Guys, do you think Beast would be able to take over and turn Steve into a demon completely?" Danny asked, utterly out of context.

If looks could kill ...

"Bite me! Am I not allowed to think out loud?" he snapped at his teammates.

"Of course, you are," Kono said soothingly. "And we understand your concerns. The answer is the same as yesterday and the day before. We don't know. Steve's one of a kind. I've tried to find out more about him and his family. And I've done some research in this field, as well. Sorry to say it was a waste of time."

Danny sighed, then said, "And I'm sorry I'm such a pain in the ass. It's not the first time Steve's gone out there on his own. The circumstances are just different. I'm going to get Gracie for a sleepover at my house. Father-daughter movie night."

You could tell by looking at Danny that this was not exactly what he had in mind. But from their experience, it would be useless to search the island for Steve if he didn't want to be found.

"Take care," Kono hollered out, as Danny was already halfway out of the office while Chin grimaced.

"What?"

"Steve didn't tell Danny about the gifted thing. Shouldn't we ... I mean, Danny is our friend. I think he has a right to know about it."

"Steve promised, he'd tell him. That's good enough for me," Kono cut him short.

"If you say so..."

+++++

Coming home for the first time in days felt strange. Steve had looked for Danny's car in the driveway. It wasn't there. Of course, what had he been expecting? Danny camping out in his front yard? Stupid Steve, really stupid. But hey, he'd tried to apologize. Okay, admittedly, it had not been more than a half-hearted attempt, left on Danny's voicemail. It wasn't surprising Danny had refused the offer. This man could be as stubborn as a mule. Damn, sometimes it felt like looking in the mirror. Nevertheless, now it was Danny's turn. Was it? Call it SEAL-logic. For a split second, he'd hoped Danny would be here, would give him comfort and warmth and love.

"Clear the way for my crash landing." He mumbled when he put the key into the lock. The truth was, Danny wasn't here, and he wouldn't show up.

Steve felt worn out and far too tired to shower. He dragged himself up the stairs leaving a trail of clothes leading up to his bedroom. He dropped onto the bed, boneless. It felt like ages since Steve had ventured up here into 'their' bed. For a while, it had worked pretending to sleep on the couch, but that hadn't been more than restless tossing and turning. Even now, this place was haunted by memories of them making love. Thankfully, darkness embraced him.

From deep under the cover of a deathlike sleep, Steve began climbing into consciousness. His hearing picked up the sounds of the neighborhood, people laughing, dogs barking. The emptiness he'd felt last night still lingered. The more he tried to ignore it, the stronger it got. Though he loved to pretend, his heart wasn't made of stone. No matter what thoughts Steve milled around in his head, they couldn't stop the flood of images, and he couldn't banish Danny from his mind.

For far too long, he hadn't given in to the need to relieve the pressure with a fading fantasy and his hand. He'd become a master of disguise—a faithful martyr to the pain. But today, the dam finally broke.

Eyes tightly shut, he lowered one hand, trying hard to dissociate himself with each tiny move. Too soon, and before he knew what he was doing, he squeezed his cock, arched his back, and blew out a breath he'd been holding. He bit his lower lip, desperately fighting the hungry sounds that were about to escape his throat. His groin was ablaze, his blood boiling in his veins. It was so easy to keep his hand moving in a steady rhythm once he permitted himself to let pleasure give way to the nagging pain inside of him just once. At least he wouldn't hurt anybody if the Beast decided to show up now.

Steve recalled every kiss, every caress, every powerful thrust of Danny's hips. Bodies covered in sweat. He tightened his grip, picked up the pace. His legs fell open. He was close. So close.

He felt a hot breath against his ear. "Fuck me," imaginary Danny whispered. Little stars exploded in front of Steve's inner eye. While his hand was moving in its painful pace, he threw himself into the abyss, where he could forget about everything, everything but making love to Danny with mind, body, and soul. He screamed. Pearly drops of cum splashed over Steve's abs and chest. He clenched his free hand into a fist and shuddered through the aftershocks.

With the rest of his brain slowly returning to reality, he curled up. His hand was wet with cum, his face damp with tears. A flash of sheer lust and then – hello emptiness and guilt. Guilt at having to cheat with Danny's memory. Before Steve drifted off, he concluded that the pain of being apart from Danny was too big a price to pay for his pride.

Super SEAL instinct worked even when Steve was asleep. He woke with a start when he heard something downstairs. How long had he been out? Hours? Days?

The noise of drawers opened and closed caused all alarm bells shrill in his head. He reached for the gun on the nightstand and got out of bed.

Steve's vision was still blurry, and he felt dizzy. But adrenaline and his training took over; he moved on autopilot. Smoothly, he went down the stairs and found his target in the kitchen. The man had his back to him.

"Put your hands in the air and turn round, slowly," Steve ordered, voice steady.

The intruder froze and obeyed.

Steve's eyes widened, "Danny?!"

"Hi, Steve."

An awkward moment of silence ticked by while Danny stood, hands in the air, while butt naked, Steve was pointing a gun at him. Deja vu with changed positions?

"Danny?!"

"Yes, we already covered that."

Silence.

"Steve could … could you just do me a favor?"

"Sure."

"Put … put the gun down, okay?" Danny said and lowered his hands.

"Oh, of course, sorry." Instinctively Steve wanted to holster the gun, but …

"I think I should get dressed … and probably shower …"

"Steve?"

"Yes?"

"I would suggest you change the order."

"What?"

"First shower, then get dressed," Danny said in a maternal voice.

Steve put the gun on the kitchen counter. "Oh, of course. I'm… I'm just a little … I didn't expect …"

"I know it's obvious. Go to the bathroom, I'll take care of breakfast."

"Sorry that I – the gun," Steve said, still baffled.

"Trust me, I'm fine. At least you didn't shoot me. That tells me that you're no longer mad at me, or not as mad as you were when you threw me out that door a few nights ago," Danny said, grinning from ear to ear.

Steve's smile froze on his lips, "And you haven't forgotten how to rub salt into open wounds thoroughly. Sadist!" He turned on his heel.

"I love it when you talk to me like that," Danny hollered out.

He fiddled with the pan and almost dropped it when Steve peeked around the corner and shouted, "Danny!"

"What?" he was slowly losing his temper.

"Glad you're here."

"Yeah, yeah. It's okay, babe. I got it. Now take that damned shower."

"Yes, Danno," Steve replied and was gone.

"Kiss my ass," Danny muttered.

"I heard that," Steve replied and closed the door to the bathroom.

While Danny took his time eating breakfast, Steve wolfed his down.

"Being out there in the woods must make a man very hungry," the blond stated dryly.

"Woods?" Steve wondered.

Danny made a dismissive gesture. "I have no clue where wannabe demons go on their own."

Steve jabbed his fork into the piece of ham aggressively.

"What has that poor ham done to you?"

They smiled at each other.

"Where did you get all this stuff? My fridge was practically empty," Steve wanted to know, still jabbing and shoving.

"You know these places called supermarkets? They're everywhere. Even here on hula island," Danny quipped.

Steve was done. With a satisfied grin, he leaned back, patted his belly, and burped.

"Nice. How about a decent fart?" Danny sneered and threw his napkin on the table. "Try to wiggle your ears at the same time, and I promise to get you a job at the Russian National Circus."

"You would do that for me?" Steve deadpanned and went into the living room.

Danny cleared the table and put the dishes into the dishwasher.

"Why didn't you just call?" Steve asked as Danny joined him, a bottle of beer in each hand.

"I did—a dozen times. Maybe you forgot to charge your phone. From time to time, you should do that, especially if you're playing huntsman in the woods. Could save lives. Probably yours. Unless you don't give a fucking shit about it, Steven."

"Here we go again," Steve mumbled. Just then, he realized Danny was wearing a t-shirt. "Wait, no dress shirt/tie combo today? Are you sick?"

"It's Saturday, and I'm off duty. Being away for some days seems not only to make you hungry, but it also makes you lose track of time. Or should I say lose your mind?"

Silence.

"Dammit," Danny huffed out. "I didn't come here to argue."

Steve's voice was barely audible, "I'm a fucking head case with enough baggage to take a plane down."

"And I've got a matching set of baggage." Danny took a big swig from the bottle before he put it back on the coffee table.

Silence wove through the air.

Worried, Steve watched a shudder rattle Danny's frame and reached out instinctively, resting a hand on his partner's upper thigh.

Danny's thoughts bounced around like dice on a craps table. 'Should I stay, or should I go now?' the line of the song was stuck in his head.

Steve knew that something was wrong. "Danny speechless" was never a good sign.

"Danno, I can hear the clicking of your brain. Spit it out," he finally said, voice hoarse.

"Did you ... did Beast ever take over your body? On purpose or not?"

For a while, they just stared at each other. Then Steve took his hand away.

"You've talked to Chin and Kono," he said and rubbed his stubbly chin. "And the reason you came by was not breakfasting. I mean it was, but it wasn't the main reason."

"Of course, I've talked to them. What do you think? Our leader decides to take a leap and leaves nothing but many questions and an open case. What's wrong with being worried about you? Do you have any clue what stories we had to come up with? We've enough enemies circling us like Jaws eyeing a bunch of castaways in the open sea, even at HPD. During your absence, I'd been the one who reported to the Governor because it could've been very unhealthy for Chin if she'd caught him during one of his seizures. Biting a chunk out of an official could get a little lethal for him."

Steve stood.

"Ready to run?" Danny taunted.

"Actually, I was going to pace." Steve took a sip of beer and started pacing.

"Better?" Danny asked, a challenging look on his face.

"I needed some time alone. I swear to god this had never happened to me before in my entire life. Killing you off is definitely not on my to-do list. Neither is becoming a demon. I have to talk to Kono. Maybe she's got a tranquilizer or something similar. I ... I don't want to experience that ever again."

He stopped pacing and dropped onto the couch next to Danny, who shook his head in disbelief, "How do you do that … I mean … keep yourself in check all the time?"

Steve blew out a breath, eyes cast downward, "It takes a lot of strength and discipline. It's like pushing your evil twin underwater, constantly. He struggles for air, but you don't give him a fucking chance to surface."

"Until he breaks through the surface and shows up to say hello?" Danny teased.

"Thanks for your trust in me and my abilities, Danno. Sharing your body with a predator means you have to make arrangements with him. It's like walking a tightrope."

"I'm well aware of that, princess. And I know that you have to make certain sacrifices. But these sure don't include going on suicide missions, messing around with your friends, vanishing into thin air, and god knows what else." Danny took a swig before he added, "In my opinion, that comes closer to rope skipping."

Steve sighed, rubbing his palm against his temple. "Listen, I know you're worried, and maybe I was wrong about some things …"

"Duh," Danny snapped.

"I promise I'm going to try …"

"Do or do not... there is no try."

Steve smirked, "Danno, are you quoting Yoda?!"

"Of course. He's a wise little man like me, and I'm sick and tired of reinventing my own speeches. Guess you've heard them all."

"Did I ever tell you that I've got a crush on wise little men?" Steve quipped.

Danny grinned, "You got a crush on Yoda?"

"Nope, but I do have one on you."

When Danny thought about it later, the best part of the whole day was when Steve leaned toward him, grabbing his shirt to bring him closer and the hot, wet kiss that followed.

Danny didn't know what to expect from Steve. That he could use a magic wand and make him forget everything? Fuck it; he should stop thinking and enjoy the moment.

Steve pushed him back gently. He shoved his tongue into Danny's mouth and one hand into his thick, blond hair, making the most out of the situation. The couch wasn't exactly big enough for both of them, Danny thought, while he pressed his body against his lover, grabbing the firm ass.

At this very moment, Steve shifted his position, and they tumbled onto the floor.

He didn't wait for Danny to catch the breath that had been forced out of his lungs by the impact.

"I hope your back likes my carpet," Steve smirked.

Danny raised an eyebrow, "My back? You're talking about my back?"

Steve raised one right back at him, "Don't go there, Danno. I'm not in the mood to argue about who tops."

Danny grinned widely. "No, not going to argue, it's just about assuming who's going to top."

Steve circled his hips to make his point. Danny inhaled sharply. In between hips moving hard and fast and kissing, they managed to get rid of their shirts.

Dear Lord, Steve wanted to be everywhere simultaneously, wanted to lick and touch and suck. Greedily, he inhaled Danny's scent. Danny moaned as they pushed against each other, dry humping like teenagers doing this for the first time.

Somewhere a phone was ringing. Once, twice. Danny stopped moving.

"What?" Steve gasped.

"Phone."

Steve shook his head, "You're not going to answer that call," he stated and pinned Danny's left hand next to his head.

"Could be a family emergency."

"The ring tone's not familiar."

Danny hesitated, "You're right. It's not my phone, it's yours."

He pushed hard against Steve, who wasn't impressed nor moving an inch.

"Get off of me, you stubborn jerk," Danny snapped.

The magic was gone.

"YOU call ME stubborn?" Steve grunted and rolled off him.

Danny muttered, "Whatever," and started looking for the phone.

He found it on the chest of drawers in the foyer. The caller had left a text message. Danny startled as he felt Steve's naked chest on his back.

"Gimme the phone," Steve ordered.

"No can do," Danny smirked, pressing buttons.

"I'm not going to ask again," he warned and wanted to grab it.

A picture popped up on the screen. It showed a familiar face that took the case to a whole new level.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Domo arigato my dear adaywithcoffee


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for being late to the party. I suffered some serious health issues (not covid) and then got haunted by a writer's block. 
> 
> I wish you and yours a good start into 2021! Thanks for having me.

_36 hours earlier_

About 600 people were moving their sweaty bodies to the stomping techno beats coming straight from the speakers. Where the whirring of sewing machines and the deafening clatter of looms had been heard, once, the booming bass let the earth shook. The party spawned a never-ending spring of booze, courtesy of the Hawaiian gods of drunken shenanigans. Drugs were exchanged faster than the speed of light. There wasn't a single drink that was not spiked. 

Casually, he leaned at the bar, a bottle of beer in his hand, facing the crowd. A smile curled the corners of his lips. He enjoyed this place as there was something magical to it. It brought his dark side to the surface, rattled at its cage, teasing, inviting. He couldn't tell with how many people he had had sex with tonight. They felt drawn to him like moths to the flame. They couldn't resist his charm, and he loved it. The later it got, the more restless he became. The faces in the crowd turned into ugly grimaces. The loud music, the booming bass, he had to relieve the pent-up tension before it got to him. The all-consuming darkness inside of him was taking over. His vision turned red. Instead of blood, he felt red hot lava pumping through his veins. The smell of sweat and sex brought out his basic instincts. He lost control over the beast within. A beast he'd thought he could handle. The moment when the hunted became the hunter proved him oh so wrong. Now, he was looking for prey. Real prey. He wanted his body covered with their blood, wanted them to die while he watched. The only thing that spoiled his fun was the fact that it was so easy. Willing victims were much less fun. But he couldn't have it all, could he? And so their cries for help went unheeded in the labyrinth of tunnels.

_Present-day - somewhere after midnight_. 

"Don't give me the stink eye, Trey. I've no clue why it didn't work." Izzy snapped and fetched her backpack with the magical paraphernalia in it. 

"I swear I did everything by the book. I went through this ritual over and over again. No chance, I did something wrong."

"You did. Or do you see any demon running around here or a portal into another dimension?" her brother snarled. "I don't see any of it. I always thought you inherited our mother's talent. But your abilities are just good enough for fascinating people at the funfair." 

"Or you've been royally screwed by your dear friend Karoli when he sold you the amulet. Think about that. I told you not to trust a Traveler." She pointed at the amulet, "This piece of crap looks like a cheap imitation." 

Izzy would have loved nothing more than get the hell off the island and leave her brother alone with his holier-than-thou attitude. Why did she even agree to help him? She had no idea. It was probably because she had promised their parents to take care of him and keep him from harm. Her brother lied about the ritual. What sounded like a spell for getting them wealth and a better life had turned into a disaster. Thank God, the whole thing hadn't worked out. 

"Watch your tongue! Karoli's family is trustworthy. All in all, honorable men and women." 

"Yeah, whatever. I'm out. In case you need me, I am at Anela's. There will be another timeframe in about two weeks. Gimme a call. Bye." She left without further ado. 

Pissed and angry at the whole world, Trey stared at the remnants of the ritual. He swept the black candles, the skull, the grave images, and the rest off of the altar with one fluid motion, leaving everything scattered on the ground. Only now, he realized that one thing wasn't there, the amulet. His look darted back to the altar. It was still there where he had put it at the beginning of the ritual. It hadn't moved an inch. Trey frowned, took a closer look, and touched the artifact. As hard as he tried, he couldn't move it. It behaved like someone had glued it to the altar. All of a sudden, a ray of light exploded in his face. He was thrown against the other side of the room. A searing pain shot from his head to his toes. A stifled cry escaped his throat; he fell to the ground as the world around him went dark. 

_H50 Headquarter_

The whole team gathered around the gadget table. They studied the pictures the satellite had taken only hours before. After Steve and Danny had received the message, they immediately rushed to the office where Chin and Kono waited. 

The pictures on the big screens brimmed with black magic. Something horrible must've been going down at the shown area. To get better knowledge about the current situation, they decided to take a trip. 

Steve gnawed at his lower lip, "Kono, are you sure the place wasn't flagged together with the others when you worked your spell for the first time?" 

"A hundred percent, boss. This is new." 

"The place is huge; how could it drop off your radar?" Danny wanted to know. 

Kono shrugged, "Honestly? I'm clueless." 

They nodded at each other with determined looks on their faces and left. 

Once they reached the site, the full extent of the damage done became apparent. Black Magic was still lingering. Even Danny sensed it as the hairs in the nape of his neck stood on end. The whole area reeked of fear, despair, and death. 

Kono opened the trunk of her car and took out a wooden staff. Its surface was covered with glyphs. These empowered her to find and cast a proper protection spell for the team. None of them was very fond of being surprised by demons or humans who stumbled upon this place by chance.

As Kono started to chant, the staff glowed in such an intense light they had to cover their eyes with their hands. It took her a few minutes to complete the ritual. After she was done, she crouched down and placed her palm on the sandy ground. 

"Steve, you have to take a look into the building's basement. It's still brimming with dark ancient magic. But be careful. You should take Danny with you. Chin and I stay here to make sure we get no unwanted visitors just in case my spell isn't strong enough to keep them at bay and hidden from human sight." 

Danny swallowed, "I thought you'd worked your magic. Aren't we safe? Or do you think I'm better off as Mr. Hyde's sidekick?" Danny said while nodding in Steve's direction. 

Chin rolled his eyes at his teammate's complaint. "Why can't you just shut your mouth and follow orders?" 

"You can be Steve's sidekick if you want to," Danny suggested. "No problem with that. If things are getting rough, you could still kill each other." 

"Danny, stop it," Steve snapped. 

"No, I won't. Guys, you forgot I'm only human. I'm not into this supernatural shit, and all I could do to help Stevie Wonder is running away screaming." 

"Don't sell yourself short." Chin mused. Steve and Kono glared at him. 

Before Danny could start with one of his tirades, Kono cut him short. 

"Even if Chin wanted to follow Steve, he can't. The tunnels are swimming in blood. Chin and blood aren't BFFs at the moment. And you know that." 

Danny opened and closed his mouth. Silence. Time was ticking away until Danny considered and then slapped Steve's ass. 

"Let's go, Dr. Jekyll. I warn you; if you go all Mr. Hyde on me, you're going to regret it, deeply," he said, somewhat amused. 

"I don't get it. Seriously!" Chin snapped as soon as the two men were out of earshot. "Why the hell doesn't he tell Danny about his Nephilim abilities. Who knows, they could be of great importance to us. Danny could be our savior." 

Now it was Kono's turn to roll her eyes. "What's wrong with you? We know Danny for quite some time. He never showed signs of being more than just human." 

"You mean a pair of wings would do it for you or a halo?" Chin grumbled. 

"Well, that might be cool but way too obvious," Kono quipped and poked Chin's upper arm. He replied with a grunt. 

The inside of the building was as abandoned as the outside. At first sight, the whole scenario looked more like a wild party that had gone south. Bottles, cigarette buds, streamers, glow sticks, confetti, balloons, and other stuff littered the floor. But the stench and the boys' gut feelings told a completely different story. 

"I'm glad Gracie isn't into this stuff," Danny muttered and kicked an empty can aside. 

Steve's instincts were on high alert. He cursed Kono for putting Danny obviously into danger. How could she? 

Their way led them deeper into the innards of the building. They were about to enter the labyrinth of tunnels as the stench of decay and blood hit them both like an oncoming freight train. Danny was thankful he hadn't eaten anything. The coffee in his stomach was long gone. Even Steve had to fight his urge to run away as fast as he could. Both decided it would be better to breathe through the mouth. Bodies, limbs, bowels everywhere their eyes went. Kono had been right; the floor was swimming with blood. Steve and Danny exchanged more than worried looks. Steve had counted about eight bodies so far. It was hard to tell if he was right with all the body parts scattered around. 

"Dammit, I should've brought the stinking cologne along. The one my ex-mother in law had bought me last Christmas," Danny stated. 

"You're such an ungrateful bastard," Steve smirked. 

Yes, the situation couldn't be worse. But he was thankful for Danny's chatter. It was a little distraction from all the horror. 

"Yeah, she made me wear it the whole evening at Kalakana's bar. Men and women avoided me along with the insects. I swear I've never felt more lonely in my entire life," Danny complained. 

Steve huffed out a laugh, and without turning around, he changed the subject, "I need a body with an intact throat." 

Danny jerked his head in Steve's direction, eyes wide, "You need what?" 

"A body with an ..." 

"I got it. I'm not stupid. But what for? You're going to have a little chit chat ..." his voice trailed off. 

He grabbed Steve's shoulder. "No, you don't!" 

Steve frowned. "What?" 

"This... This blood spell bullshit. You're not doing it, again. No way I'll let you do it." 

Danny fumbled for his phone. 

"Whom do you want to call? We've got no reception down here," Steve grinned.

No response, Danny lifted his phone and held it above his head.

"Danno, you're not panicking, are you?" 

"No, I'm not. Look at me, and you see the calmest person ever," the blond muttered under his breath. 

"Yeah, of course. That's the reason you're about tearing my shirt apart?" 

Danny stopped short. He hadn't noticed that he had his free hand firmly clawed into Steve's shirt and was pulling on it madly. 

"Oh, I'm ... I'm sorry. I didn't want to ...." He let go of it and tucked his phone away as well. 

"Stop babbling; I need a body."

Danny nodded, "Yes, with an intact throat." Before he turned away from Steve, he added, "and why is that?" 

Steve inhaled sharply and regretted it the next moment. The stench made his eyes water and his stomach heave. 

"Have you ever tried talking to someone with a ripped out throat?" he asked, annoyed. 

"No. Not really. I mean, of course not. Because this person couldn't ... wouldn't be able to speak. So I was right, then." Danny muttered. 

"Dead or not doesn't matter. I am not that good at reading minds, you know. Not in our dimension. And now, let's get down to business." 

It didn't take long until Danny hollered out, "I've got one." 

Steve went over to him. They towered over the body of a young girl about sixteen or seventeen years of age. 

"Except for the fact that she's missing the part of her body from below her waist, she looks peaceful," Danny stated dryly. He was desperately fighting against the numerous pictures that threatened to flood his mind. Though the girl didn't have any resemblance with his daughter Gracie, he couldn't stop thinking about her. Shadows crossed his features. 

Steve glanced at him. He could read Danny like an open book though he'd never told him so. The blond considered him insensitive, anyway. 

"You don't have to stay. It's not going to be a walk in the park. You can wait outside," Steve said softly. 

"And miss all the fun? No way." Danny deadpanned. "One more thing, promise me you're not going to end up in a body bag, again." 

Steve shook his head, "No worries, it is way less dangerous than the other blood spell. I have no plans to switch to another dimension. I'm staying put and have a heart to heart talk to the poor little thing. It'll get messy, and you will experience some strange things, and we both will have to take a shower afterward ..." 

Danny put his forefinger to Steve's lips, "Spare me the gory details. I believe in you. And whatever may come, I will do my best to protect us both."

At that point, he had absolutely no idea how heroically he would keep his promise.


End file.
